Golfo De Nicoya

17 Surf spots
families beginners
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Positives
  • Great lefts and rights
  • Consistent, powerful beaches
  • Both south and north swells
  • Exotic, warm and friendly
Negatives
  • Best swells in rainy season
  • Beaches close-out easily
  • Crowded breaks, busy resorts
  • Some bad roads and petty crime

Golfo De Nicoya surf travel guide

With waves all-year-round, surf towns have sprung up at Jaco and further afield on the Nicoya peninsula around Santa Teresa/Mal Pais. Despite shocking access roads requiring 4WD in the wet season, this wild area has become a surf-school heaven, trading on idyllic tropical scenery, incredible national park wildlife and mellow beachbreaks. The Nicoya Peninsula is where the thick tropical forest blankets the hills down to the sand, dipping its toes in the Pacific to create a laid-back vibe in the established eco and surf resort towns of Playa Santa Teresa, Playa Carmen and Mal Pais. This is a great beginner/intermediate zone where the beachbreaks are often mellow, but don't discount some firing morning sessions and some bigger waves on the points.

The backside of the Nicoya peninsula holds some surprising quality when bigger S-SW swells push in and hit a number of breaks that are all offshore in NW winds, which can be handy in the wet season. Cabuya Island Reef is a low tide reef way out off the tip of the 'Cemetery Island' which is either a long reef platform walk or a boat ride. Los Reyes is nice righthand wall at the Lajas rivermouth and Playa Los Cedros gives goofies a short, mellow fun-run to slalom in idyllic scenery at high tide. Playa Grande is a solid 30min walk from Montezuma, but the rewards are proper hollow beachbreak peaks and a thick jungle backdrop in crowd-free pristine waters.

Across the Golfo, more famous waves like the leg-burning rivermouth lefts of Boca Baranca, the busy tourist and beginner beaches of Playa Jaco, or the often daunting, thumping tubes of Playa Hermosa. Check out the peaks of Esterillos that has flexible, south-facing waves for most abilities.

Surf spots in Golfo De Nicoya

Research the 17 surf breaks in Golfo De Nicoya and discover what spots suit the current conditions.

Break lowdown

We’ve collated the wave data giving you a unique insight into the 17 breaks in Golfo De Nicoya.

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When to go

Surf and weather statistics to help plan your surf trip to Golfo De Nicoya

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Library

Helpful surf travel videos and articles featuring Golfo De Nicoya.

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Travel Information

General
Current Time
Tourists
3,017,000
Population
5,094,118
Tourist Info
Tourist Info

Security

Health

Money
Currency
CRC
Exchange rate
$1 = 580 CRC CRC

Cost of living

Communication
Dialing in
+506
Dialing out
00
Emergencies
911
Language
Spanish, Creole
Electricity
Plug Type
a
b
Visas

Most countries do not need a visa for a visit of up to 90 days. For more details visit. Dep tax = $29

Getting There

From Juan Santamar’a International Airport (SJO) Jaco is only a 2h drive. Mal Pais is a 5-6h drive using the Tempisque Bridge north of Puntarenas, way up in the Nicoya Gulf.

Getting Around

Roads around Jaco are okay, but some spot access is by boat/walk. Tempisque bridge saves ferry hassles. 4WD is essential in winter around Playa Coyote. Don’t drive at night: wildlife & crazy drivers abound! Fan or A/C is crucial.

Accommodation

Plenty of choices to stay in Jaco, but favour Playa Hermosa for its proximity to quality surf: prices keep going up so ask for winter or long stay discounts! Mal Pais is surf camp central with all sorts of different packages. A typical food bill would be $12-15.

Activities
cultureoutdoorurbanwatersports

Lots of outdoor activities like horseriding, kayaking or river rafting. In Jaco/Hermosa area try the Waterfalls and Canopy Tour in the jungle forest, or fly tandem paragliding! Nightlife in Jaco is heavy; check Disco La Central or Papagayo. In Mal Pais, it's quieter with plenty of wildlife. Don't miss Cabo Blanco National Park.

Hazards & hassles

Black sand at noon can burn feet. Take booties for sharp lava reefs at low tide (3m range). Dense crowds of experienced expats, hot ticos and surf schools. People have drowned in Playa Hermosa's heavy waves, competent swimming ability is necessary when double overhead. Bugs, caterpillars and mosquitoes can be pretty bad in the wet season. Sea-lice!

Handy Hints

Because of heavy airlines tax, it may be cheaper to rent or buy boards in Jaco/Hermosa. A quality shortboard costs $450, longboards are $650. Rentals from $15/d. Lots of ding repairers. Plenty of surf shops in Jaco like Chucks WOW, Jass, Walter or Carton and Santa Teresa has Denga, Kina, Nalu, 360 or Lost in Santa. Travel off-season (Sept-Oct) and save up to 25%.

Due to global pandemic, Visas, Getting There, Getting Around or Accommodation information and pricing may have changed. Always check Government Travel Advice before travelling.

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